There
are just a silly number of bands playing in Toronto for North By Northeast this week: 1000 of them according to the festival's website. That's clearly more music than anyone has time to check out online, never mind actually going to see them live. So we've taken the time to sort through our favourites. Below you'll find the best bets as far we're concerned, with set times, MP3s, interviews and more. And if that's not enough for you, you can
also listen to the NXNE preview edition of our Songs You Can Dance Around
Your Apartment To podcast right over here.

(Of course, during the days we recommend you nurse your hangovers in Trinity Bellwoods, where the Young Lions Music Club has put together another edition of the Live In Bellwoods Great Heart Music Festival, with acoustic sets by acts like The BB Guns, Paper Lions, Maylee Todd and Olenka & The Autumn Lovers. You can check out the full schedule and details here.)

The full schedule for the festival is here and you can buy a wristband ($60 for the whole week) here.

WEDNESDAY

Once upon a time, the festival's Wednesday night was quiet enough that we didn't feel like we had to go out and see anyone. Which was great for resting up and getting ready for all the craziness to come. But this year there are a few great shows, including one that will probably tempt us out into the night. Mozart's Sister — one of our favourite discoveries from last year's North By Northeast — is playing the Rivoli right before Gentleman Reg.

Of all the bands playing this year's festival, we might be most excited about The Cruelty Party. The brand new local super-group fronted by Azari & III's Alphonse Lanza — and featuring guitar by our little red friend and occasional contributor Milan Schramek (ex of Modernboys Moderngirls) — takes to the stage at Wrongbar in the wee hours of the morning. And right before them, Montreal rockers We Are Wolves play a set.

Meanwhile, the Silver Dollar also has a couple of our local favourites. Stella Ella Ola (who just released an excellent new single, "Donna", kick things off at 9pm while Pow Wows (who played our Pussy Riot benefit show last year) are on at 1. In between are The Dirty Nil, who we've been dying to see live for a while now — we suspect they're one of the best party bands in Toronto.

Still, we'll be tempted to head to the Horseshoe (for former Spiral Beachers Moon King and electro-wizard Dan Deacon) or the Great Hall (for the poppy garage rock of Michael Rault and the Québecois piano pop of Coeur de Pirate). Or to catch the '70ish guitar shredding of Little Foot Long Foot at Hard Luck. Or the holy-shit-they're-setting-things-on-fire theatrical country rock of White Cowbell Oklahoma at Lee's.

On Friday, we're most excited about the Young Lions Music Club showcase downstairs from the Great Hall. We're particularly pumped for Guelph indie rockers The Magic, the epic '80s pop of Gold & Youth (who kicked off the Field Trip festival last weekend) and — if we're still standing — the 3am slot by the Spice Girls tribute band, Wannabe.

Upstairs, they'll be the reliving the '90s with Sloan and the Super Friendz, while The PepTides subvert the '60s down the street at the Gladstone and the Luyas bring their beautiful looping melodies to Sneaky Dee's.

Our livers will undoubtedly limp into Saturday night, but the rest of us will be plenty excited. The BB Guns, who were just plain amazing at CMW, take their retro-girl-group-garage-rock to Lee's while Pkew Pkew Pkew (gunshosts) play their drunken rock at Rancho Relax and Dangerband do the same at Velvet.

Meanwhile, the electro-hippies of Doom Squad will follow up their trippy late night CMW set at Comfort Zone with a 1am appearance at the Garrison. And at the Dollar, after Michael Rault plays his second set of the festival, The Lost Babies will take the stage at 3am — a perfect spot to finish off the festival before heading to Sneaks for some early morning nachos.